Winch for poster hoarding

Abstract

A winch for a poster hoarding comprising a cable management system, the cable management system comprising a plurality of spaced cable guides spaced around a perimeter portion of the poster hoarding, a primary length of cable having a portion that will extend around cable guides around that perimeter when a poster is fitted and tightened within the hoarding, and a cable tightening mechanism for tightening the poster when fitted. The cable tightening mechanism comprises the winch by which a cable tensioning part can be pulled, either directly or indirectly, for tightening the primary cable length between the adjacent cable guides.

1 .- 4 . (canceled) 
     
     
         5 . A winch for a poster hoarding, the winch comprising:
 a mounting bracket for attachment thereof to a poster hoarding;   a drive member;   a cable end connector for connecting to an end of a cable of the poster hoarding for tensioning a poster on the poster hoarding; and   a shaft, the shaft being connected to the cable end connector and extending in engagement with the drive member, rotation of the drive member relative to or against the shaft drawing the shaft linearly along the shaft's axis.   
     
     
         6 . The winch of  claim 5 , wherein the drive member is one or more worm gear or a threaded hole, or a plurality of planetary gears, designed to engage the shaft for moving the shaft when they rotate, or when the shaft rotates. 
     
     
         7 . The winch of  claim 5 , wherein the shaft is a threaded shaft. 
     
     
         8 . The winch of  claim 5 , wherein the drive member has a hole in it, and the shaft extends through the hole. 
     
     
         9 . A winch according to  claim 5 , wherein the winch is removable from the poster hoarding. 
     
     
         10 . (canceled) 
     
     
         11 . (canceled) 
     
     
         12 . A winch according to  claim 5 , wherein the winch has an lcd display for indicating the status of the winch. 
     
     
         13 . A winch according to  claim 5 , wherein the cable end connector is in the form of a plate with a connection portion. 
     
     
         14 . A winch according to  claim 5 , wherein the cable end connector comprises a hook. 
     
     
         15 . A winch according to  claim 5 , wherein the cable end connector is mounted in or on a rail or slot. 
     
     
         16 . (canceled) 
     
     
         17 . A winch according to  claim 62 , wherein the motor is a stepper motor. 
     
     
         18 .- 28 . (canceled) 
     
     
         29 . A winch according to  claim 5 , wherein the range of extension and retraction of the cable end connector in the winch does not exceed 60 cm. 
     
     
         30 .- 32 . (canceled) 
     
     
         33 . A winch according to  claim 5 , wherein the mounting bracket comprises at least two hooks for notching onto two bolts on the hoarding. 
     
     
         34 .- 38 . (canceled) 
     
     
         39 . A poster hoarding comprising a cable management system, the cable management system comprising a plurality of spaced cable guides spaced around a perimeter portion of the poster hoarding, and a cable for the poster, wherein the poster hoarding has a primary length of cable having a portion that will extend around cable guides around that perimeter when a poster is fitted and tightened within the hoarding, and a cable tightening mechanism for tightening the poster when fitted, the cable tightening mechanism comprising a winch, by which a cable tensioning part can be pulled, either directly or indirectly, for tightening the primary cable length between the adjacent cable guides, wherein the winch comprises a mounting bracket for attachment thereof to a poster hoarding, a drive member, a cable end connector for connecting to an end of a cable of the poster hoarding for tensioning a poster on the poster hoarding, and a shaft, the shaft being connected to the cable end connector and extending in engagement with the drive member, rotation of the drive member relative to or against the shaft drawing the shaft linearly along the shaft's axis. 
     
     
         40 . A poster hoarding according to  claim 39 , wherein the cable tightening mechanism further comprises a geared winder having a first component for winding up cable slack in that primary length of cable as the cable tensioning part is pulled and a smaller second component from which cable can be unwound as the cable tensioning part is pulled, the relative sizes of the first component and the second smaller component gearing the effect of the pulling such that the length of the primary length of cable that is wound up by the first component as the cable tensioning part is pulled is longer than the length of pull of the cable tensioning part. 
     
     
         41 . A poster hoarding according to  claim 39 , wherein the cable tensioning part is a cable end and the cable end has a carbine hook on its end for quick connection to the winch's cable end connection. 
     
     
         42 . (canceled) 
     
     
         43 . A poster hoarding according to  claim 39 , wherein there are at least two distinct cables, one defining the primary length of cable and the other defining the cable tensioning part. 
     
     
         44 . A poster hoarding according to  claim 39 , wherein a cable tension retention mechanism is provided on the hoarding for securing the tension in the cable for a fitted poster, whereupon the winch can removable without loss of tension in the cable of the poster hoarding, the cable tension retention mechanism being one or more of a cleat, a clutch or a rope jamming mechanism. 
     
     
         45 .- 51 . (canceled) 
     
     
         52 . A poster hoarding having a cable based poster tensioning mechanism therein, the poster tensioning mechanism comprising a length of cable, rope or chain that runs along a leg or arm of the poster hoarding to a cable tensioning point, the cable tensioning point being adapted to allow a cable tensioning mechanism to be used for pulling the cable, rope or chain for tensioning the cable, rope or chain to tighten a poster, the cable tensioning mechanism comprising a winch the winch comprising a mounting bracket for attachment thereof to a poster hoarding, a drive member, a cable end connector for connecting to an end of a cable of the poster hoarding for tensioning a poster on the poster hoarding, and a shaft, the shaft being connected to the cable end connector and extending in engagement with the drive member, rotation of the drive member relative to or against the shaft drawing the shaft linearly along the shaft's axis. 
     
     
         53 .- 61 . (canceled) 
     
     
         62 . The winch of  claim 5 , further comprising a motor for providing relative rotation between the drive member and the shaft. 
     
     
         63 . The winch of  claim 62 , comprising an electrical power source for driving the motor.